Manufacture of acetone.



PAGES & R. P. T DUCHEMIN. MANUFAUTURE 0F AGETONB.

A. L. A.

APPLICATION TILED APR. 5, 1906.

Patented Sept. 7, 1909.

"PM! I. A. w 9.7M... SP 1 RKTAFQ R4 \x J :1 T

W W M 'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. ALBEI ET LOUIS ANTOINE PAGES ANT TlitlMAS DUCHEMIN, F I ARIS, FRANCE.

MANUFACTURE or AGETONE.

933,191 S ecification of Letters Patent. I'atehtml Sept. 7, 1909. Application filed April 5, 1906. Serial No. 310,022.

To all wlwm it may concern; the acetate is heated is preferably about 575 lleit known that we, Amunrr Louis Axrenligrade. the acetate t'lBNH'IIPOSUS, under Tome lmr'zs and lime; Putt. T House the influence of heat into acetone which is ])1 1 x b t], itizens of the Republic of condensed, and into carbonateupon which France, residing at laris. France, have in the vapors ot' acetic acid contained in the vented a new and useful lin 'n'ovcment in pyr ligne us d a t to regenerate t i108- the Manufacture of Acetone. which imlate. The regenerated acetate is again do provement is fully set, forth in the following composed under the influence of heat into specifii-atioi'i. y acetone and carbonate, and the reaction pro- 10 This invention has for its object the manuceeds indefinitely in. such a manner that the facture of acetone by the action, under the saline quantity of acetate serves in a continuintluehce of heat, of a current of vapor of ous u'iax nier for the manufacture of acetone. distilled pyroligncous acid upon an acetate. "In order to increase the surface of contact The acetate decomposed by the heat into between the acid vapors and the acetate, we

acetone and a carbonate is regenerated by employ, as a carrier for the acetate, inert the action of the vapors of acetic acid in porous bodies. such as fragments of coke or such a manner that thesame weight. of ace refractory bricks, which it is sutficient to. tate, without renewal, can serve for the impregnate with a solution of the body to almost unlimited production of acetone. be treated. Thefstate of dilution of the The process usually employed for the a id is not very important, the action taking manufacture of acetone consists in dccomplace whatever may he the strength of the using calciun'i acetate in iron vessels by acid liquid. As regards the temperature of Will. it there-lorenecessitates the. previous deeomposition, it varies according to the 'n'eparaliou of alcium acetate, which isobbase or acetate tl|l])l0];6(l, but always re- 25 tained by saturating distilled pyroligneous mains within a. limit much lower than has acid with lime. This operation is dillicult, hitherto been considered necessary, for the a and. moreover the acetone prepared by this decomposition of he acetates. ithcorrocess is impure. It has been proposed tain acetates it is considerably lower than also for that )ur'pose to pass the raw prodthe temperature of incipient red. As to the acts of distillation of wood and the like nature of the acetate employed, an acetate through or over oxids, carbonates or sidemay be used which fulfils the ollowing tates of heavy metals; but in this case it is conditions: 1. Being capable of being trims altogether impossible to obtain pure acetone, formed. into an acetate by the action of a even after long and costly processes of rectigaseous current containin acetic vapors and ficiition and, besides, the o era'tion cannot at a temperature lower than that at which be continuous, being limited: as it were, to acetone 1s destroyed. 2. The acetate prothe successive periods of distillation of 5110- dared being ea able, at. a temperature lower cessive charges of organic .matter. It. has' than that at w iich acetone is destroyed, of been proposed finally, in order to obtain being disassociatral by water, carbonic acid, 40 pure acetone, to pass vapors of acetic acid acetone and a free base ready to be acted over carbonates of alkaline earths at a relaupon by the acetic vapors. 3. Being capable tively high temperature (about 50(l- G.) of bein (l9705lt6tl by any means, in the 'but this has proved unsatisfactory. shape 0? a t in coating on the surfaces of This invention allows acetone in a pracporous or spongy bodies, or such as present 45 tit-ally ore condition to be obtained in .a a very extended surface (pumice stone. coke, mntinuousmanner by starting directly from metal gauze or other woven fabrics. asbestos. distilled pyroligneous acid and consequent] etc). A great many substances fulfil said avoiding the previous preparationof ca conditions, such for example, as zinc or ciuln acetate or acetic acid. For thispurpose, analo ous metal acetates or the acetates of 105 50 We beat as regularly as possible, either in the alkali metals, the alkaline earth metals metal or other tubes, or any other apparatus (acetate of barium or magnesium). We allowing'an intimate contact between the have found in fact that we may use the acesubstances taking part in the reaction, an tates of all the alkali metals, alkaline earth acetate, and We pass over this body thus metals, earth metals and of metals generally, 55 heated a continuous current of distilled pywith the exception of the acetates 01 copper roligneous acid. .The temperature to which and precious metals. The possibility of keeping the temperature within such narrow limits is obtained especially by the use of distilled Ipyroligneous acid. on account of the regu sting action of.the superheated steam which accompanies the acetic vapors and by the fiiseof narrow tubes having a diameter of about 100 millimeters, for the reaction. A

In the accompanying drawing we have shown in diagrammatic section the preferred form of apparatus to bee-employed 1n carrypyroligneous acid ing out this invention.

n this drawing, a is a main, fed'with from a rece taclc' (notshown) and from which the acid flows to a vaporizing tube or coil 6 heated by any suitab 0 furnace such as an oil burner c to which from the tubes 0!.

passed successively through a series of tubes e of relatively small diameter (about 100 1111112) charged with the acetate, and the vaporsof acetone formed are led into a conden'sing coil f cooled by water. The tubes 6 are heated b the hot gases 1passing from the burner c to the chimney g a 7 around the vaporizer b.

In order to maintain the temperature in the tubes 6 and c practically constant, which is an essential feature of applicants process, the combustion chamber In )rovided with an air inlet i tlic'rcgulating iu vc of which may advantageously be controlled y an electrical thermostat is of any well known type the heat responsive part of which is placed at the top of the vaporizer- 5, moreover, in order to regulate the heat of the gases cir culating around the tubes e, one or more direct connections Z for the uses may be established betwen the combustion chamber hand the flues m m and rovided with re ulatin valves n preferab y actuated by e. ectrica ter their passage thermostats o of any suitable type'arranged at appropriate places between the tubes 0. This arrangement for regulatin the temperature in the tubes 6 6 might iowever be replaced by any other well known arrangement such as steam jackets, liquid baths or sand baths.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim is 1. The process of making acetone, which consists in passing continuously vapors of diluted pyl'oligneous acid over an acetate which may be formed by the initial action of the distilled vapors u on a base, heated to about 575 (3., and lea ing off the acetone thus formed 2. The process of making acetone, which consist sin passing continuously over an acetate which may be formed by tell initial ac tion of the distilled vapors upon a base, heated to about 575 (1., and leading off the acetone thus formed.

3. The process of making acetone, which consists in passing continuously vapors of distilled pyroligncous acid over a heated acetate capable of formingacetone on healting, and leading off the acetone thus formed.

4. The process of making etone which consists in passing vapors of (.tL-stllld pyroligneous acid over an acetate cnpab e of forming acetone on liceting,' said acetate be ingmaintniued at n temperature lower than that of inciiient rcd, leading oil the acetone thus forme and condensing the same.

In testimony whereof we have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT LOUIS ANTOINE mats. RENE PAUL THOMAS DUCHEMIN Witnesses:

JEAN VAUcuen, HANSON C. (loxn. 

